A small business advocate spoke to KHTS News recently regarding the “disconnect” in Sacramento between legislators and policy, and the onus on small business.

Tom Scott, the California’s executive director for the National Federation of Independent Business, met with a Santa Clarita group, including Assemblyman Dante Acosta, R-Santa Clarita, about the challenges facing small-business owners.

The state has about 3.8 million small businesses, Scott said, with the NFIB representing about 325,000 businesses nationally and about 22,000 in California.

Click here for the podcast of the interview.

“Anything that can hurt or empower small business, we’ll be on the front lines for (our members),” Scott said, talking about some of the advocacy for which the group campaigns.

“I think throughout the state, there are a lot of common messages,” Scott said, “whether it’s health care costs, whether it’s workers compensation, struggling with the impact of what the minimum wage means for small business owners.”

Although there was a top issue, he added, based on the volume of concern he’d heard from NFIB members.

“Health care costs, definitely the No. 1 issue for NFIB,” Scott said, adding “64 percent of our members have seen an increase in their health care costs — it’s not getting better.”

He also noted a projection that states health care costs are expected to rise another 12 percent in the next year.

“Workers comp. just seems to be a constant,” Scott said, “whether it’s fraud, whether it’s litigation, Los Angeles and Orange County seem to be driving this system to a mess.”

The high number of lawsuits statewide require even businesses such as delis to have between $200,000-400,000 in coverage, which is just part of the “pile-on” for business owners’ costs.

Ultimately, business owners need to become engaged if they want to see a change, Scott said.

“I understand most small-business owners are frustrated with government, but we’re getting to a point where, if you don’t get engaged and become active, get to know you state legislator, hold them accountable,” he said. “If you don’t like what’s going on… there’s definitely a tale of two stories.”

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